June Soups

Three Peppers Soup

Three Peppers Soup

Three Peppers Soup

3 peppers (1 red, 1 yellow, 1 green)

4 garlic cloves

5 tsp olive oil

5 cups beef or vegetable stock

1/3 tsp saffron

8 slices bread (2 per person)

4 eggs (1 per person)

Salt and white pepper to taste

Paprika

Broil the peppers. Let them cool and peel them. Cut them in long, thin strips. Peel and chop garlic cloves. Heat the oil in a soup pot and add the peppers and garlic. Cook for 1 minute, stirring continually. Add the stock and saffron, stir some more, cover the pot, and cook over moderate heat for 30 minutes. Toast the bread slices. Break the eggs and place them individually one by one into the soup, carefully to keep them whole. Add salt and pepper if desired. Turn off the heat. Cover the pot and let the soup rest for 5 minutes, until the egg whites are cooked. Carefully place 2 slices of bread into each soup bowl, place 1 egg on top, and then cover them with the rest of the soup. Sprinkle some paprika on top and serve immediately.

Cherbah

Cherbah

Cherbah

¼ cup olive oil

3 onions, sliced

6 tomatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 6-oz jar of pimentos, chopped

½ cup finely chopped mint

6 cups stock (vegetable or meat)

4 Tbsp lemon juice

Egg yolk, beaten

6 bread slices

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot. Add the onions, tomatoes, and garlic. Saute for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the pimientos and mint and mix well. Immediately afterward, add the stock and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Cover the soup, lower the heat to low-medium, and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the seasonings and blend the beaten yolk with 4 Tbsp of the soup. Add this egg mixture to the soup and stir vigorously so it all blends well. Serve the soup hot over 1 slice of bread in the center of each serving.

Greek Spartan Soup

Greek Spartan Soup

4 cups beef broth

8 cups water

2 leeks, sliced julienne style

2 carrots, sliced julienne style

1 celery stalk, thinly sliced

1 small cabbage, shredded

1 large onion, sliced

1 garlic clove, minced

2 lemons

4 eggs

Salt and pepper to taste

Pour the broth and water into a large soup pot. Add all the vegetables and bring to a gentle boil. Lower the heat to low-medium and simmer the soup for 1 ½ hrs, covered. Add more water, if needed. Skim all the white part that rises in the soup carefully and discard it. Squeeze the juice from the 2 lemons and add it to the soup. Beat the eggs carefully and mix them with the soup. Add the seasonings and stir quickly for 2-3 minutes. Serve the soup immediately. [This soup was not very filling. Add potatoes would make it more of a meal.]

Salmon Chowder

Salmon Chowder

Cold Salmon Chowder

2 cups unsweetened original soy milk

½ onion, sliced

1 celery stalk, sliced

1 small red pepper, diced

1 cup fresh salmon, lightly poached

½ cup light cream (coconut milk)

2 tsp dry sherry

Salt and white pepper to taste

Cucumber slices as garnish

Chopped dill as garnish

Pour the soy milk into a soup pot and cook thinly sliced vegetables for 10 min, stirring continually. Remove all the bones and skin from the salmon, flake it, and add it to the soup. Add the cream (coconut milk), sherry, and seasonings. If you wish to serve chilled, chill overnight and serve with cucumber slices and chopped fresh dill. [Personally, I thought it was better hot with soy milk only.]

Okra Soup

Okra Soup

Okra Soup

½ onion chopped

¾ cup of okra, sliced

1 celery stalk, chopped

4 cups water

1 bouillon cube

2 Tbsp medium grain rice

¼ cup corn kernels

¼ cup tomato juice or sauce

Salt and pepper

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Put the vegetables in a pot with the water. Bring to a boil and add the bouillon, rice, tomato juice, and seasonings. Stir well, reduce heat, and cook for 1 hour stirring occasionally. Salt and pepper to taste. I added Cajun seasonings and Tabasco chipotle. Adding shrimp or fish is also an option.